Ricky Ponting: The First Centurion of the World Cup Cricket 2007

Australian captain Ricky Ponting made the first century of the ongoing world cup against Scotland in their first world cup match. The match is now going on. After 50 overs Australia could reach at 334 for 6. Ponting came to the wicket with the Gilchrist’s wicket down when Australia was on 91/1 in the 17^th over.

Ricky Ponting played a stroke full 113 just off 93 balls. He could hit nine 4s and five 6s. So, you can imagine how dangerous he was over the Scotland bowlers. His outstanding innings make people remember his last innings in the world cup in the final of the World Cup Cricket 2003. Most of the 6s he made coming down the wicket and his footwork was accurate.

I think, his ton is an unofficial alarm for the opponent bowlers of the upcoming matches. This right hander seemed too much relaxed while playing the shots which proves that Ricky Ponting is in his form at this moment, so if you have already made Australia out of the championship race, include Australia as soon as possible. Any late decision can make you shock.

Australia 334/6 against Scotland after 50 Overs

Defending champion Australia is now playing their first match in the World Cup Cricket 2007 against Scotland at Warner Park, Basseterre, St Kitts. Winning the toss Scotland captain Craig Wright sent Australia to bat first. It is now lunch time and after 50 overs Australia could make a big total of 334 losing 6 wickets. Captain Ricky Ponting made the first 100 of the World Cup Cricket 2007. His 113 came just off 93 balls in which he played nine 4s and five 6s. Ponting started dominating over the Scotland bowlers from the beginning. Aside his ton, the hard hitting opener Matthew Hayden scored the first 50 for Australia in this world cup. Though he played some big hits in this superb innings, he was not in his conventional devastating action. He played a 73 ball 60 in which he hit six 4s and one 6. His opening partner Adam Gilchrist also played a good innings of 46 which came off 55 balls with seven 4s. However, in the end, Brad Hogg played a cameo of 40 facing just 15 balls in which he hit three 4s and three 6s.

On the other hand, neither of the Scotland bowlers could make any impact on the Australian batsmen. Majid Haq took 2 wickets conceding 49 runs in 7 overs. I think, 334 is well enough to declare that Australia is going to win the match but remember, it is cricket, where everything is possible. So, if you at home keep in touch to your TV set and if you are in the stadium then do not lose your seat.

Cricinfo

West Indies Captain Brian Lara to Launch a TV Game “Brian Lara International Cricket 2007” in England

West Indies captain and star batsman Brian Lara is now in England in order to launch a computer game named after him, Brian Lara International Cricket 2007. This is not the first time Brian Lara TV game is going to be on public rather there were a number of episode of Brian Lara cricket TV game. He went England as the promotional activities of the TV game.

NDTV reported:

West Indies captain Brian Lara flew into London for a day on Thursday to promote the launch of his new computer game - 'Brian Lara International Cricket 2007'.

Lara will be in charge of the side when they try and win the ICC Cricket World Cup on home soil in a few weeks time.

He said that Rickey Ponting, Glenn McGrath and Sachin Tendulkar might be dangerous in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2007. However, he has not talked about the Marlon Samuels’ allegation of having connection with a bookie Kochar.

This TV game will make a boom in the market as the ICC Cricket World Cup 2007 is coming with full pace.

India and Australia to Meet in Belfast, Ireland on June after the End of the World Cup Cricket 2007

Indian and Australia will meet to each other on June in Belfast, Ireland. They will play three ODI matches there. These three matches will be included in those 25 matches India has to play over the five years in offshore venues as per the contract between Indian Cricket Board and Zee TV.

Cricinfo reported:

Under the conditions of an agreement signed between Zee TV and the Indian Cricket Board, India have to play 25 offshore ODIs over a five-year period, and following Ireland's successful hosting of the one-day international against England at Stormont in Belfast last June, officials have been in secret negotiations with the BCCI to bring further international cricket to their shores.

"Clearly there is an incentive to be hosting such events," Warren Deutrom, the chief executive of the Irish Cricket Union, told Cricinfo. "This is not just a major cricket match but a major sporting event, between two of the best sides in the world." Deutrom confirmed that the three matches would be held at Stormont on June 27, June 29 and July 1, but added that this would be subject to the finalising of terms.

For India, the series will be played as a warm-up for their tour of England in July, which comprises three Tests and seven one-dayers. "We will play against Australia in the last week of June," Niranjan Shah, the secretary of the Indian cricket board, told reporters. "We have chosen Ireland as the venue and details are being worked out."

This is a good initiative that two cricket powers will play in Ireland where Cricket is not that much popular. However, it would be better if the initiative of organizing some ODI matches in USA and Canada could be successful.

Rickey Ponting Having Monotonous Feeling over the Plenty of Matches against India

Rickey Ponting, the captain of Australian Cricket team, has revealed his dissatisfaction over the plenty of cricket matches against India this year. It has been scheduled that Indian and Australia will meet in Northern Ireland in June just after the end of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2007. Then Australia will go to India in October and India will go to Australia in December which will followed by a tri-series with India, Australia and Sri Lanka.

India Times reported:

Ponting's comments came following news Australia and India are set to play three, and possibly five, matches in Belfast, Northern Ireland this June.

Ponting's side will also tour India in October to play seven ODIs, and then host the same opposition from December in four Tests and a tri-series in early 2008, which also involves Sri Lanka.

"From a player's point of view, you'd like to be playing all the teams around the world on a more consistent basis,"Ponting said. "But that's just the way it is. That's programming. No matter how hard you work at programming, it's pretty hard to get it right 100 per cent of the time."

This is true that playing so many matches against the same opposition is something seemed to be irritating. So, I think ICC will go through this matter while deciding the fixture among the teams in future.

India Should Look for Quality Pace Bowler

India is one of the most dominating countries in the cricket world as it is the second highest populated country and cricket is the most popular sports in India. So, India has an unofficial power in the cricket world. Having over the one crore population, India is the most fascinated country to the sponsors and eventually the cricketers in the country always regarded as the most famous celebrity. It is worthless to say that the richest cricket control board in the world cricket, BCCI, belongs to India. However, in many cases, it has been seen that the cricket officials to Indian cricket sometimes become more busy dealing with sponsors rather than the development of the domestic cricket.

The major concern in the Indian cricket for which they have struggled in many abroad series, is that of having quality pace bowlers. After Kapil Dev India has not got any dominating fast bowler in world cricket whereas after Imran Khan, Pakistan got two great pace bowlers- Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, who served Pakistan for many years. After Dennis Lillie, Australia got Glenn McGrath; after Michael Holding, Joel Garner, West Indies got Courtney Walsh, Curtly Ambrose. On the other hand, India has not got any other pace bowlers who can dominate over the batsman. So, it is badly needed for India to have some quality pace bowlers in order to get some tremendous results in international level.

I hope the cricket officials to India will give more focus on the development of Indian cricket rather than the sponsorship. India will feel for a quality pace bowler in the coming ICC Cricket World Cup 2007. Let’s see what happen.

ICC Going through the Last Minute Visit to the Hosted Venues of the ICC World Cup Cricket 2007

ICC officials are now going through the final visit to the host venues ahead of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2007. The world cup cricket will be started from 11 March. Now the whole cricket world is eagerly waiting for the coming tournament. The officials are now investigating the stadiums and the facilities of the stadiums.

News Day reported:

A team from the International Cricket Council (ICC) led by the Venues and Development Director Don Lockerbie will visit three venues.

Also in the team are officials in charge of pitches, outfields, venue development and cricket operation.

Among the other specialists involved are the Venue Curator, Venue Manager, Ground Personnel and other ground officials.

Between approximately 1.30 and 3.30 pm the ICC team will visit the refurbished Queen’s Park Oval in Port of Spain where group matches in the World Cup will be staged.

Trinidad and Tobago will host the Brown Package at the Oval featuring India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Bermuda. Hosts West Indies are in Group “A” which will be played in Jamaica.

Later, the St Mary College Ground and the King George V Park both on Serpentine Road, St Clair will be inspected between 3.30 and 4.30 pm.

The good side of such visits is that in the way the problems and the lacking existed in a venue will be brought into out and the organizers will be able to work out the problems. I hope that the world will have a successful World Cup Cricket tournament.

Andrew Symonds will Play in the World Cup Cricket 2007?

Andrew Symonds, one the most important ODI members of current Australian cricket team, is now in an uncertainty as last Friday he has fallen in an arm injury while batting against England. He has gone through a surgery in order to come back to field. However, it is not quite sure that he will be able to participate in the World Cup Cricket 2007. Now the question is that whether he will be selected for the squad of world cup cricket. Another question here eventually comes and that is, if he is included in the squad and later he proves unfit to play then what will happen. Will Australia have to continue the world cup keeping a member short from their squad?

Nine MSN reported:

The question at issue is whether or not the selection of Symonds would effectively reduce the Australian squad - to be announced at the end of the tri-series finals - from 15 to 14 if he was later ruled unfit.

Australian captain Ricky Ponting conceded it would be a risk to include Symonds, who had arm surgery last Sunday, in the team - but he wanted him to accompany the side on the tour.

Symonds underwent surgery to reattach the bicep in his right arm which he tore from the bone while batting against England in the day-night match last Friday.

Ponting is anxious for Symonds to travel to the World Cup

"Absolutely," Ponting said. "I think there are a few things we have to check out with the ICC first as far as taking an injured player away to the West Indies is concerned.

"But if it works out the way that we think it will...the doctors have basically said six or seven weeks and he should be right to start playing again then.

"That sort of period comes at a really crucial time in the middle of the World Cup there so to have him around and playing those games would be great for us," he said.

"He's such an important player for us and I know how much he wants to be at the World Cup as well, so we've got a lot of thinking to do to see if we pick him in the squad to take over to the West Indies."

I think Symonds’ exclusion will be a bad news for Australian cricket team as he has both bowling and batting capacity. However, Australia will be able to fill out his place as they have many potential players in their country.

Zimbabwean Cricket: The Ongoing Problem will Continue in the World Cup Cricket 2007?

While the other cricket playing nations are developing in their way, Zimbabwean cricket is going downward which is an alarm to the development of cricket in the world. ICC is thinking of the expansion of this game worldwide, but the cricket of one of the test playing nation is going to be decline. The complicacy over the cricket of Zimbabwe has been started from the last world cup while Henry Olonga, a strike bowler of the team, escaped to England in order to be saved from being arrest.

All Africa reported:

But the same cannot be said of Zimbabwe, who continue to fight the avalanche triggered -- interestingly -- at the last World Cup by that "black armband" protest. The 2006 ICC Champions Trophy aside, uninspired loses against South Africa A and Bangladesh were a reminder of the costly war against ourselves, which has bogged us in this quicksand of hopelessness.

And today, the struggle continues when meeting the Tigers in the first of a four-match, One-Day series at Harare Sports Club. Bangladesh left home on Thursday amid a chorus of disgruntled voices from stakeholders who believe Zimbabwe are not worthy competition in the run-up to the World Cup, and if that does not make us feel very uncomfortable given the state of affairs a mere three years ago, then nothing in this world would.

The team to take part in this series should give a good indication of who will be flying the Zimbabwe flag in the West Indies, so defeat this time around -- at home -- should tell the real story of exactly where we stand, in the global game. But whatever happens, one hopes Zimbabwe sends out its best available players every time we take to the field, lest we be labelled the scarecrows of international cricket for eternity.

I think ICC should come forward to work out the problems of Zimbabwean cricket. I hope they will come back to the test arena very soon.

World Cup Cricket 2007 could not Make Any Buzz at the Caribbean Region due to the Lack of Promotion?

Though there are a few days to go to start the World Cup Cricket 2007, it has been reported that there are not that much buzz at the Caribbean region. The reason thought to be existed behind it is the shortage of the promotional activities. It was also reported before that the lack of promotional activities played an important role behind the lower ticket selling of first two phases of ticket selling.

Hardbeat News Reported:

Amazing isn’t it? The biggest sporting event – practically the Olympics in the Caribbean – and there’s no excitement in the US Commonwealth Diaspora. The just-concluded Air Jamaica Jazz fest generated more buzz in the Diaspora than World Cup Cricket has to date.

There are no radio, television, web or print ads apart from a few put out by Direct TV and Air Jamaica. And the few promotions by tourist boards among local groups in the Caribbean Diaspora are lackluster and last minute, with no real money invested to target this market seriously or hire real ambassadors among cricket clubs, community groups and the media for a sustained campaign.

Top Indian and Pakistani media are also not being utilized and neither are the many cricket clubs that dot the US landscape. Why is this happening? Well first off, most of the promotional dollars is largely being given to agencies that seem to have absolutely no knowledge of what cricket is about much less the target market for such a promotion.

This is a negative side of the tournament that the authority could not organize the promotional activities properly. I think the authority should focus on the promotional activities from now on in order to make this World Cup Cricket 2007 successful.

The Third Phase of Ticket Selling Started ahead of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2007

The third phase of ticket selling of the World Cup Cricket 2007 has been started from the last Thursday. Though the first two phases were not satisfactory, the authority is confident that they will reach to their target of 42 million U.S. dollar. This has also been reported that the ticket selling of this phase is going well.

CBC reported:

With ticket revenue having already doubled that of the previous ICC Cricket World Cup, organisers of the 2007 edition in the Caribbean are banking on the Phase Three Stage of ticketing to propel them to their target of 42 million U.S. dollars.

Stephen Price, CWC 2007’s Commercial Manager, said despite setting high revenue targets for the event, the present pace of ticket sales in the final ticketing phase which started Thursday, suggested their targets will be attained.

Official ticket centres across the Caribbean have reported heavy traffic, an indication that many Caribbean people have waited until the last phase to gather their tickets.

Price said there were over 300-thousand tickets still remaining and with revenue already having doubled the 11.2 million dollars of CWC 2003, organisers remain buoyant.

I think the fans will now come forward to get the ticket of their desired matches so it is very possible for the authority to achieve their goal. I think the promotional activities should have been more organized ahead of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2007.

Ticket Price of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2007 Seems High

The upcoming World Cup Cricekt 2007 will be started from the next month. The analysis and rumor over the tournament is now roaming around the cricket world. Many think that West Indies and Australia both are favorites to win the cup. However, it is a bad news for the authority that the ticket selling has could not live up to the expectation. This reason behind such down selling is claimed to be number of things such as visa complicacy and high price. Some analyst said that ticket price is beyond the ability of general fans.

Jamaica Gleaner reported:

The prices, which are being offered by one ticketing company, illustrate the beyond-the-ordinariness of this event. For the opening ceremony it will cost a mere €125, which coverts to J$10,725 at today's exchange rate.

The cheapest tickets remaining are those for the matches between Scotland and the Netherlands, which will be played in St, Kitts/Nevis and New Zealand and Canada, which will be played in St. Lucia. Tickets for both these matches, to be played on March 22, will fetch a mere J$5,480. The cheapest ticket being offered by this company for the West Indies vs Pakistan match on March 13 is J$16,302.

Those who are more able enter the grandstand will do so for a mere J$21,450. Happily, the asking price for the WI vs Zimbabwe on March 19 amounts to only J$8,075. However, unless the ordinary cricket lover takes out a mortgage, he or she will have to settle for watching the final match on TV. The prices being asked to enter Kensington Oval on April 28 range from J$75,668, that is, seventy-five thousand and mash at the lower end, to J$100,815; that is over one hundred thousand for the grandstand!

These prices seemed too unbelievable to be real, so I decided to check the ICC website and registered, as if I was going to buy a ticket. I tried to get a ticket for the Castries and Anse La Raye Stands for the semi-final on Aril 25. Most were sold out, but I could get one for US$130. The cheapest tickets being sold for that same match by the ticketing company I have been looking at was US$190. So, although I could get the ticket for US$60 cheaper directly from the ICC, I felt that at US$130 the price was still beyond the ordinary cricket lover.

Having gasped at the prices for a while, I concluded that it was better to watch the matches on TV anyway. Why would someone want travel to Barbados to brave the crowds for J$100,000 when all the action can be seen on TV?

I also think that the price is high for the general fans who have a limited income. So, the authorities should have been lenient in pricing the tickets rather they could more focus on the corporate and advertisement income.

Veteran Women Playing Important Role behind the Upcoming ICC Cricket World Cup 2007

The World Cup Cricket 2007 is going to be on field from the 11^th of March. Many officials and volunteers are working behind this tournament in order to make the World Cup Cricket 2007 successful. With men some females are also playing a significant role ahead of the tournament. Such a Marvia Roach is working as corporate communications director at the local office of CWC. Stephanie Christian, the former IBM employee, has been assigned as a corporate expertise of CWC.

Like these two women there are some other women who are serving in some of the important positions of the CWC. This is a good side and these women will inspire many other women to come forward in the cricket related jobs as well. I hope the women’s cricket also get much popularity in future.

Read more:

Jamaica Gleaner

Tim Nielsen Named to be the Next Coach of Australia Cricket Team

Tim Nielsen, the former Southern Australian wicketkeeper, has been named as the next coach of Australian cricket team. He will be on duty after the end of the coming World Cup Cricket 2007. This World Cup Cricket 2007 is going to be the last assignment of the present coach John Buchanan.

The Sydney Morning Herald reported:

Buchanan, a Queenslander, will hand over duties to Nielsen after the March-April World Cup defence in the West Indies.

"I'm incredibly proud, honoured and excited to have been offered this opportunity," Nielsen said today. "Moving forward, this job represents a great opportunity to work with a fine group of players who are an excellent cricket team.

Nielsen was a wicketkeeper-batsman for South Australia who played in 101 first-class matches and retired in 1999 to become an assistant coach at the West End Redbacks.

Tim is currently the head coach at the Commonwealth Bank Centre of Excellence (CBCE) in Brisbane, which includes managing the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) men's cricket program.

The 38-year-old accepted the CBCE role in 2005 after spending three years assisting Buchanan in the coaching of Australia.

I think Tim will be able to serve Australia his best which will help them to reach a new height in the cricket world.